One of the most inspiring events thus far at the Veterans For Peace National Convention underway in Miami was a presentation on Thursday by several veterans who have refused to participate in war. Typically, they have done this at the risk of significant time in prison, or worse. In most cases these resisters avoided doing any time. Even when they did go behind bars, they did so with a feeling of liberation.

Gerry Condon refused to deploy to Vietnam, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, escaped from Fort Bragg, left the country, and came back campaigning for amnesty. President Jimmy Carter pardoned resisters as his first act in office. Condon never "served" a day, in either the military "service" or prison.

You can't take the human being out of the soldier. At least not all of them. Not for very long, anyway. And probably very few of them permanently. That's the real reason behind using drones. Makes it impersonal for the few who have virtually lost the human being in them. The human soldiers can be left out of the picture altogether. Problem overcome.

Comment by Andrea Severson

Entered on: 8/12/2012 2:59:43 PM

Hopefully, you won't be shot in the back by one of your comrades or given

life-saving equipment which was for looks only.

Comment by Ed Price

Entered on: 8/12/2012 8:54:01 AM

That's right! You're in the military. Stop thinking. Be the military puppet. Shoot down women and children and everybody that your commanding officer orders. It's so easy to follow orders. You can clear your conscience by blaming your commanders.

But be careful. Sometimes it backfires in a court of public opinion. Sometimes you are called to be the scapegoat because you followed orders. Kill all them innocents. And then get transferred out of the line of fire so you don't get court marshaled for what you did.